Though 70, the Spruce Grove-based author is working on a new story and recently picked up a third honour from the Canada Book Awards for her Forbidden thriller. The journey to this point was long, but not one Weir regrets going through with.

She began her interest in literature as a child. Weir was wowed by the writing her mother did when she was growing up. She never tried to publish, but impacted her daughter enough that she ultimately did in her life. After retiring from working at an ambulance service, Weir took classes in writing and published her first book in 2011 after a decade of working on the story intermittently.

The Guardian’s Wildchild – later re-titled to Kingdom of Gods – was a smash success. It was voted the favourite of readers internationally at a 2018 event in Miami and was a finalist for a Wishing Shelf award in the U.K. in 2017. Weir says she did not intend to write, but was struck by a feeling and force that pushed her to.

“I never set out to write my first book or my second,” she said. “It was almost like a spirit was there saying I have to write this. I let the ideas speak out to me.”

Online, her stories are categorized as thrillers. One takes place in the aftermath of apocalyptic-like events while Forbidden depicts international spying and intrigue. Weir, who does not say anyone in particular influences her creations, disagrees with the categorization of her work by the site developed by publishers.

“It is difficult and challenging to decide what genre my books are in,” Weir said. “They are not just totally thriller or mystery and even have a bit of romance.”

Weir is putting together a follow-up to Forbidden and is working on a web-sale for the book on Amazon. In contrast to other authors, she does not care much about translating her book to other media like film or television.

Instead, she is happy to write.

“Other forms are not a big deal to me,” she said. “I just enjoy what I do right now, it is such a thrill to create something that people will tell me later they enjoyed.”